Minhaj as-Sunnah - Ibn Taimiya - (2/212)

Minhaj as-SunnahIbn Taimiya

with attributes, or that He will be seen in the Hereafter, or that He can be seen, or that He is distinct from the world and above it (1), and other such meanings established by revelation and reason.

He is told:

“These meanings are sound. However, (2) applying this term to them is an innovation in the religion and contrary to linguistic usage. When a term can bear both a true and a false meaning, it must not be used without qualification. Rather, the wording employed must affirm the truth and negate falsehood.”

If he says, “He is not a body,” he is asked:

“Do you mean by this that no other being assembled Him, that He did not consist of separate parts and was then assembled (3), or that He (4) does not admit of separation and division, as does something whose parts can be detached from one another?

“Or do you mean that He is not composed of individual substances, nor of matter and form, and other such meanings?”

[A General Discussion of Those Who Deny the Attributes]

“Or do you mean by it something that entails denying that He possesses attributes, such that He cannot be seen, does not speak (5) with speech subsisting in Him, is not distinct from His creation, nothing ascends to Him, nothing descends from Him, neither the angels nor the Messenger ascend to Him, nor are raised to Him

(1) “Above it” is omitted from A and B. (2) A and B read: “also”; this is an error. (3) N and M read: “and thus became composite.” (4) N reads: “or because He”; A reads: “except that He.” The adopted reading is from M. (5) N reads: “nor did He speak.”

بِالصِّفَاتِ، أَوْ أَنَّهُ يُرَى فِي الْآخِرَةِ، أَوْ أَنَّهُ يُمْكِنُ رُؤْيَتُهُ، أَوْ أَنَّهُ مُبَايِنٌ لِلْعَالَمِ فَوْقَهُ (١) ، وَنَحْوُ هَذِهِ الْمَعَانِي الثَّابِتَةِ بِالشَّرْعِ وَالْعَقْلِ. قِيلَ لَهُ: هَذِهِ مَعَانٍ صَحِيحَةٌ، وَلَكِنَّ (٢) إِطْلَاقَ هَذَا اللَّفْظِ عَلَى هَذَا بِدْعَةٌ فِي الشَّرْعِ، مُخَالِفٌ لِلُّغَةِ. فَاللَّفْظُ إِذَا احْتَمَلَ الْمَعْنَى الْحَقَّ وَالْبَاطِلَ لَمْ يُطْلَقْ، بَلْ يَجِبُ أَنْ يَكُونَ اللَّفْظُ مُثْبِتًا لِلْحَقِّ نَافِيًا لِلْبَاطِلِ. وَإِذَا قَالَ: لَيْسَ بِجِسْمٍ. قِيلَ: أَتُرِيدُ بِذَلِكَ أَنَّهُ لَمْ يُرَكِّبْهُ غَيْرُهُ، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ أَجْزَاءً مُتَفَرِّقَةً فَرُكِّبَ (٣) ، أَوْ أَنَّهُ (٤) لَا يَقْبَلُ التَّفْرِيقَ وَالتَّجْزِئَةَ كَالَّذِي يَنْفَصِلُ بَعْضُهُ عَنْ بَعْضٍ؟ أَوْ أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ مُرَكَّبًا مِنَ الْجَوَاهِرِ الْمُنْفَرِدَةِ، وَلَا مِنَ الْمَادَّةِ وَالصُّورَةِ وَنَحْوِ هَذِهِ الْمَعَانِي.؟ [مناقشة نفاة الصفات إجمالا] أَوْ تُرِيدُ بِهِ شَيْئًا يَسْتَلْزِمُ نَفْيَ اتِّصَافِهِ بِالصِّفَاتِ بِحَيْثُ لَا يُرَى، وَلَا يَتَكَلَّمُ (٥) بِكَلَامٍ يَقُومُ بِهِ، وَلَا يُبَايِنُ خَلْقَهُ، وَلَا يَصْعَدُ إِلَيْهِ شَيْءٌ، وَلَا يَنْزِلُ مِنْهُ شَيْءٌ، وَلَا تَعْرُجُ إِلَيْهِ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَلَا الرَّسُولُ، وَلَا تُرْفَعُ إِلَيْهِ

(١) فَوْقَهُ: سَاقِطَةٌ مِنْ (أ) ، (ب) . (٢) أ، ب: وَأَيْضًا، وَهُوَ خَطَأٌ. (٣) ن، م: فَتَرَكَّبَ. (٤) ن: أَوْ لِأَنَّهُ ; أ: إِلَّا أَنَّهُ. وَالْمُثْبَتُ مِنْ (م) . (٥) ن: وَلَا تَكَلَّمَ.